


Where You Go I Follow

by EmmyLynna



Series: Entwined [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Death, F/F, Hospitals, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-28 22:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10840713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyLynna/pseuds/EmmyLynna
Summary: He should have known.  His Yuuri had always gotten cold easily.  Their eldest son, Kostya, quickly rebutted him and said that it was only a myth that getting cold could lead to pneumonia.But as Yuuri lay dying in Viktor’s arms he still couldn’t help but smile.  At 89-years-old, after 68 years of marriage (83 if you count their wedding in the greenhouse as kids) and surrounded by their children and loved ones on their deathbed, what more could he ask for? Still, it was the most agonizing pain ever, having the other half of your soul torn from you.Despite it all Viktor smiles, because he knows that death is only the beginning of their next journey. “Oh moya lyubov, I can’t wait to meet you again in our next life.”





	Where You Go I Follow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KattNapper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KattNapper/gifts).



> Prompt from KattNapper: _I wanna see how this ends. SHOW US ADULT YURI/VICTOR in this universe. If you want. Please._  
>  Ah, so I may have taken your words “how this ends” too literally. Sorry for the angst! **Warning** , if you do not want to see how our love story ends, you should hit the back button now. Not to mention **spoilers** for Precocious and the rest of the Entwined series and **major character death(s)** in case you missed it in the tags.

_Viktor will not let anything part him from his Yuuri. Not even death._

 

He should have known.  His Yuuri had always gotten cold easily.  He had said that to their children as such but their firstborn, Kostya, quickly rebutted him and said that it was only a myth that getting cold could lead to pneumonia.  

Kostya...he was always the level-headed beta even in cases such as this.  Of course, Viktor should listen to him since he was the one with the doctorate in medicine, currently practicing as one of the top-ranking cardiologists of the New York City metropolitan area in New York-Presbyterian.  But Viktor was stubborn and he knew his mate best.  He was convinced that the record-breaking temperatures they've been having that winter were to blame for pushing Yuuri over the edge and making him vulnerable enough to cause his infection to escalate into full-blown pneumonia.  

An illness severe enough to land him in the ICU of their local community hospital.  Kostya had wanted his father to be transferred to another medical center but by then the physicians cautioned that Yuuri was too weak.  Today was their seventh day in the ICU, and eigth day in the hospital in general.  

 ---

Their first morning in the ICU was particularly rough on the Nikiforov family as they were delivered the bad news.  At that point Yuuri was sedated and slept throughout the entire conversation.  

“Multidrug resistant _Klebsiella pneumoniae_ ,” the intensivist, Dr. Kaplan, reported to them during rounds.  She was making eye contact with the entire family but it was obvious to everyone that she was mostly addressing Kostya since he was a fellow physician.  None of Viktor and Yuuri's other kids worked in the healthcare field.   

“I don’t understand,” Katya had asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “How did Dad get this sick?  How did he even get infected with something that’s so hard to treat?”

Kostya sighed and removed his eyeglasses so he can massage his temples properly.  “I think Dad must have contracted it from someone while he was volunteering at Daylight Springs,” he replied to his younger sister before turning to Dr. Kaplan and explaining for her benefit, “It’s a longterm care facility that specializes in pediatrics.  My dad likes to volunteer there.”

Dr. Kaplan’s eyes glinted with comprehension, “Ah, I see.  It’s true that exposure to healthcare centers such as those can increase your risk of contracting a resistant bug.  I’m sorry this happened to your father.”

Katya cried and reached over to grab Yuuri’s hands, “Oh Dad!”  Her twin brother, Kiyoshi, stood behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.   

“Is Uncle Yurio gonna be able to come?”  Kiyoshi asked his oldest brother.  

Kostya nodded.  “Yes, but he and Uncle Beka are being held at the airport.  There’s currently a blizzard in the Midwest so all the flights are grounded at O’Hare.”  

The end of Viktor’s lips twitched, the hint of a smile just barely making itself known at the thought of Yurio.  The alpha must be cursing up a storm at the airport.  Even at the age of 88, just one year younger than his Yuuri, he could spout enough profanities that would make a sailor blush.  “And Elya, is she with them?” He asked referring to Yurio and Otabek’s adopted child, Elizaveta.

Beside him, Katya perked up at the sound of her mate's name.  She had left the week prior to visit her parents in Chicago.  “I’m sure Elya is trying her hardest to get them the first flight out, Papa.  They’ll make it…” She said the last few words grimly, suddenly reminded of the seriousness of her father’s condition.

Viktor smoothed down Yuuri’s white hair.  Even in old age with weathered skin, age spots, wrinkles and all, his mate was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  If only this damn sickness would release its hold on him.  “I have no doubt of that."  There’s no way his Yuuri would ever succumb to it until all their loved ones came.  Which reminded him, “And Haru?” He asked, referring to his middle child and the only other alpha of the family.  

“He’s in a similar situation in Detroit,” Kiyoshi responded.  “He just texted me. He’s hoping to catch a flight tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you three go get some dinner before the cafeteria closes?” Viktor suggested, looking at the standard analog clock perched on the wall. It was 4:35pm.  

“You sure you’ll be fine here, Papa?” Katya asked, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

Viktor responded with a soft smile. “I’ll be fine, Katya.  Go on, I’ll stay here with your Dad.”  As if to emphasize the point, he lifted himself up a bit from the chair so he could drag it closer to Yuuri’s bed. He sat back down and rested his arms on the raised guard rails attached to the sides of the bed.  

“Okay, we’ll be right back. We’ll get something for you too,” Kiyoshi said as Katya stood up and followed Kostya out the room.  

Viktor sighed.  He didn’t know how long he sat there beside Yuuri.  His husband had a nasal cannula to help support his breathing and maintain his oxygen saturation.  His middle finger was hooked to a pulse oximeter while a peripheral IV was inserted in his left arm, the line ending in two clear IV bags-one labeled with an antibiotic and another with normal saline that the doctors were treating him with.  Apparently Yuuri was dehydrated by the time they reached the hospital.  A telemetry machine beeped regularly and Viktor took comfort in the steady rise and fall of the bright green line that indicated his husband’s heartbeat.  

It must have been a couple of moments later when Yuuri’s eyelashes fluttered and he blinked his eyes open.  Those burgundy depths, flickered with specks of gold and ruby, were the same exact ones he fell in love with so long ago, if only now a little wiser with age.  

“Zolotse, how are you feeling?”  Viktor whispered tenderly as he took Yuuri’s free hand in his.  It was odd how the small hand felt a little cold despite that he knew that his husband still had a fever.   

“V-Vitya?” Yuuri turned his head over to look at him.  The elderly alpha watched as his eyes trailed its way around the hospital room, taking in the whiteboard that had his room number, nurse, and Dr. Kaplan’s name printed on it.  “Where are we?”

“We’re in the hospital, zvezda moya,” Viktor said gently, his fingers equally as soft as he delicately cradled Yuuri’s hands in his.  His mate must have been really delirious with fever if he couldn’t recall their chaotic trip to the emergency room the previous day.

“Hmm…” Yuuri paused as he took the time to observe the patient identification band on his wrist and the IV line in his arm.  He craned his neck to see the hanging IV bags and the telemetry machine. “I didn’t think I was that sick… who drove us here?”  He knew better than to think that his husband was in any state to drive.  Knowing Viktor, he’d just panic and end up getting them into a car accident.

The alpha smiled, following his line of thinking.  His husband knew him so well.  “I called Kostya to check up on you.  Once he saw how bad your breathing was we took you here right away.”

Yuuri groaned and placed his other hand on top of his forehead. “I’m so sorry. I must have caused such a panic over nothing.”

“Yuuri, hush.”  Even until now the omega was always so self-deprecating. “You need to be here.  The doctor told us earlier that with your breathing so bad and your fever so high that it wasn’t advisable to have you just take pills.”  

The omega gave him an amused smile. “How did you know what I was just about to say?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve been married to you since I was seven.”  Viktor grinned when his comment made Yuuri snort but quickly furrowed when it was followed by a violent cough.  The omega sat up and Viktor quickly reached over to rub soothing circles on his back as he began to cough, a hand clutching his chest.  A nurse came in to check on him just as the attack began to subside.

“Is everything alright, Mr. Nikiforov?” she asked, taking time to check on his telemetry and his IV line.  

“I-I’m fine, thank you.  Sorry,” Yuuri sighed as he lay back down.  

Viktor frowned.  He really wished he would stop apologizing.  

“I’ll let Dr. Kaplan know you’re awake,” the nurse said before she stepped out.  "She will likely come back in a couple of hours before she leaves for the day." 

“Dad, you’re awake!” Katya cried as she and the rest of their children returned.  Kiyoshi followed with several bags of take out that he balanced on the narrow bedside table.  

“God, Dad, you have no idea how happy we are that you’re awake!  Maybe the doctor was wrong about what she was saying earlier,” Kiyoshi babbled as he opened the containers. He completely missed the pointed look Viktor gave him.  

Unfortunately Yuuri picked up on his words.  “Wrong about what?”

Kiyoshi gulped as he instantly realized what he just said, Katya giving him a hard nudge at his side. “Ugh, good going Yoshka…” she muttered.  

Kostya stepped up and look at the telemetry machine.  He placed a hand on his father’s shoulder.  “You’re infected with a bacteria that’s very hard to treat, Dad.  The antibiotic you’re on right now is likely not working.  I saw Dr. Kaplan in the hallway earlier and she said that we might have to switch to another, stronger antibiotic.”

“Well then why haven’t they done it already?” Katya asked, frustrated.

“It has a lot more side effects.  And the thing is, the bug might eventually develop resistance to it as well… we may have to even combine antibiotics,” Kostya said as he gave a weary sigh.  

“Oh don’t be like that now,” Yuuri admonished as he took in everyone’s worried stares.  “Let’s be a bit more positive, yeah?”  

Viktor would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire.  That was very ironic, coming from his Yuuri who always had the tendency to be the worst pessimist. “Yes, let’s.  We’ll get through this together.”  

Yuuri gave him a dazzling smile that warmed his heart.  They spent the remainder of the afternoon talking about anything and everything.  Just some lighthearted conversation, their children taking turns updating them on the latest news on their lives.  It’s been awhile since they all had a chance to talk as a family, and Viktor was oddly reminded of when the children were younger and they’d talk over dinner, the one meal they all shared together before they began their separate lives in college.  First it was Kostya, followed by Haru, then their twins Kiyoshi and Katya.  With the children moving to different parts of the country and leading vastly different careers, it was difficult for them to get together even for holidays.  However, one constant was how the children and their grandchildren always made it to the annual Nikiforov gathering at Yuuri and Viktor's home.  

Dr. Kaplan came by as the nurse promised earlier and introduced herself to Yuuri and brought him up to speed on his hospital course.  Before they knew it, evening was already upon them and his children had to leave since there weren’t enough cots even for the private room Yuuri was in.  

Unfortunately it was the last coherent conversation they had with Yuuri.

\---

As the days progressed, not that Viktor could truly keep track of the days since time seemed to pass differently in a hospital, Yuuri’s condition grew worse. As Kostya predicted, they had to resort to a stronger antibiotic and when that didn’t work, they made a last-ditch attempt to combine two antibiotics together.  A pharmacist had visited them at one point, trying to explain their rationale, but Viktor was lost in all the pharmaceutical and medical jargon.  Something about synergism and the need to combine two agents to overcome their individual pharmacokinetic weaknesses while trying to lower the doses necessary of both medicines… Out of all of them it was only Kostya who nodded in understanding.

His second eldest son, Haru, had arrived by that point, shortly followed by Yurio and Otabek and Elizaveta.  Yurio was glaring daggers at Dr. Kaplan as if she was to blame for all of Yuuri’s misfortune.  Viktor no longer had any energy to tell him off for his rude behavior.  Instead he gave a sullen glance at his mate’s still form beside him.

By the next day Yuuri had to be placed on a mechanical ventilator since his lungs could no longer function adequately on their own.  Elizaveta, Katya, and Kiyoshi decided to bring their respective children to visit Yuuri since they weren't sure if he would get better.  Viktor could not control his tears when his grandchildren began to cry, clearly traumatized by the sight of their beloved Grandpa hooked to so many scary-looking instruments.

_"Why are there plastic snakes coming out of Grandpa's body?!"_

_"Those are the medicines they're using to treat him, sweetie. And the one in his mouth is to help him breathe."_

Needless to say they decided to keep the grandchildren away after that. They were too young and they were not coping well.  Viktor's not even sure if they truly understood that Yuuri was dying.  

The following day, Dr. Kaplan approached the large group to deliver more bad news.  “These antibiotics… they’re not working as we’d hoped.  His latest cultures are still positive and now he’s bacteremic, meaning that the infection has now spread to his bloodstream.  And...” the physician paused and steeled herself, “and right now, his kidney function is declining.”

Katya gasped and began to cry, Elizaveta wrapping the shorter omega in her arms.  Yurio and Haru each gave muttered curses, Otabek sitting beside his husband, his expression somber.  Kiyoshi flinched and turned his gaze outside the hospital window, as if to distance himself from the terrible news.  

A tear escaped Viktor’s eyes as he gave a gentle squeeze to Yuuri’s hand.

_Is this how it ends for us, my Yuuri?_

In the end they decided to sign the orders not to resuscitate Yuuri should his heart fail.  It was a difficult decision, and one that Viktor eventually gave his consent to when the physicians exhausted all their options and no longer gave them anymore viable alternatives.  

When the sun rose on their seventh day in the ICU, Viktor instinctively felt that something was different.  He turned around to observe Yuuri, hoping that he can make out what gave him such an intense feeling of unease.  However nothing looked out of the ordinary; Yuuri was still in a deep sleep, heavily sedated, the beeping and humming of the ventilator ensuring that he continued oxygenating his body.  

He looked around.  Otabek and Elizaveta had gone, having to take care of the grandchildren when their babysitter got sick.  He saw Kostya seated in the guest chair, typing something in his laptop while Haru kept vigil by the room's entrance.  The alpha turned his gaze over to him.

“Morning, Papa,” he greeted. “Kiyoshi and Katya went out to get breakfast for us.  Go back to sleep, it’s still early.”

Viktor impatiently shook his head, still feeling a sense of dread. Something was terribly wrong.  He felt it like a gut-wrenching cold weight in the pit of his stomach.  It made the fine hairs at the back of his neck raise in a fight or flight response and he didn’t know why.  He pushed his chair back so he could stand up, his legs still wobbly from being still for so long.  His sudden movements alerted his sons as they came up to him.

“Papa, what are you doing?” Kostya asked bewildered as he watched his father unlatch the railings to let them fall down so he could climb up on the bed beside Yuuri.  He struggled, no longer as nimble or flexible as he used to be.  Ah, old age was such a nuisance at times like these. 

Haru gave a cry of alarm and quickly hurried behind him to support his father’s back, making sure that he didn’t fall. “Papa, I don’t think there’s enough room.”

Viktor grunted and ignored them, settling beside Yuuri and turning on his side so he would take up less space.

Katya and Kiyoshi came in at that point, accompanied by Yuri. “Hey guys, Uncle Yurio arrived...Papa, why are you on the bed?”

“I have to be close to him,” he mumbled distractedly, brushing Yuuri’s bangs away from his forehead before taking his hands in his.  “I have to be close to Yuuri.”  He didn’t see the concerned and alarmed glances his children gave him.  He couldn’t explain it--it was like there was a tug, a force that was beckoning him to stay close to Yuuri.

“Yuuri, love, I’m right here,” he whispered.  

And that’s when it happened.  Some alarm went off in Yuuri’s telemetry machine.  

“What’s going on?”

Kostya went up to them, expression grim.  “Papa, Dad’s going into shock.  You have to step aside, the nurses and doctors will be here shortly.” He turned around. “Haru, go get the doctor!”  His younger brother cursed and stormed off but didn’t even have to leave before a medical resident and a nurse came into the room.

“Mr. Nikiforov, please, we need to see your husband.”

“No!” Viktor yelled and held Yuuri in a tight embrace.  

“He’s DNR, I don’t think there’s much we can do doctor,” the nurse whispered, looking at the whiteboard that had the words written in black marker.

“You mean my Dad's dying?!”  Katya asked shrilly.  

“Yuuri, Yuuri,” Viktor chanted as he held on more tightly to the omega, as if doing so will anchor him to this world.  To him.  “Yuuri, come on, stay with me please…” He filtered out the angry and panicked exchanges surrounding them until the only thing that existed was him and his mate.  “Please, dorogoy? You can’t leave me.” He began to rock them back and forth, as much as he could at least on the narrow hospital bed. “No, you won’t leave me.  You can’t. We’re not supposed to leave each other, remember?”

In the background he heard some sort of white noise until it filled his ears.  It took him a couple of seconds to recognize that it was Yuuri’s heart monitor flatlining.  He blinked and looked to find his children staring at their Dad with horrified expressions.  

No, no, no. NO!

Viktor gasped and cried out in agony as he felt the other half of his soul torn violently from him.  It was the strangest sensation, as if all the warmth in his body has left.  But God was it so painful!  How can you describe the feeling of being torn asunder? Of having a part of you wrenched from your very being?  

Even during the brief periods in his life when he had to spend time away from Yuuri he had always carried a part of his mate's soul within him.  Ever since they mated, their souls were entwined so intimately that his soul no longer knew what it was like to survive on its own.  Was it even possible?

His heart clenched in shock and he struggled to catch a breath. He could just barely hear the mocking flatline of Yuuri’s heart monitor.  

“Papa!”

“Vitya!”

There was a cacophony of cries as Yuri and his children scrambled closer to him.  Katya reached his side first and grasped for his hands, her eyes wide with alarm. “Papa, what’s wrong?”

Viktor groaned and shook his head, reaching out to his husband. “Y-Yuuri…” He growled in frustration when his hands trembled.  When had he grown so weak?

He paid no attention to the chaos in the background as Haru called out for a doctor.  “No, not for my Dad, he just passed away.  It’s for my Papa!  Something’s happening to him, hurry!”

A voice called out “Dr. Kaplan is on her way!”  The medical resident looked at the telemetry machine.  "What is going on?" He muttered, confused at the turn of events. 

“You saw how my Dad just died, less than a minute ago,” Kostya said distractedly as he looked over his father, trying to diagnose him.  “I don’t understand, Papa was fine earlier this morning," he said referring to Viktor.  

Kiyoshi clutched his head, trying to reign in his panic and stepped up beside his older brother.  “Papa, come on, calm down.  I’m sorry, I know you loved Dad. We love him too,” he reached out to gently grasp his shoulder. “Please be strong, you’re freaking out Katya.  Actually, you’re freaking out all of us.”  

Haru stayed by the door after calling out for help.  His eyes were wide taking the scene before him, still in denial with what was happening.

“Papa, please…” Katya said in a desperate whisper, threading her fingers through his thin white hair.  

“N-no,” Viktor gasped out. They didn’t understand.  It was like he was listening to his children from underwater.  Their words were muffled, distorted.  He blinked furiously as he tried to clear his vision.  Was it evening out, did they turn off the lights?  Why was his vision dimming? Every breath was getting harder.  It was as if his lungs were working but for some reason, he still could not get enough oxygen.  As if the air was too thin. Was this how his poor Yuuri felt when he had his panic attacks?  

 _Oh Yuuri, my precious Yuuri._   

He pressed his palm onto his late mate’s cheek. A tear escaped his eyes. He was still warm.  

“About fucking time!” Yuri muttered, glaring at Dr. Kaplan as she ran into the room.

“I got paged, what happened?” She asked Kostya and the medical resident.

Kostya shook his head in confusion. “My Papa, there’s something wrong with him. He’s having shortness of breath, altered mental status, acutely, just now right after Dad died…”

Katya stepped back to allow the intensivist to place a stethoscope on Viktor’s chest.  A few second passed with Dr. Kaplan placing the stethoscope in different positions.  “I don’t understand, his lungs are clear.” She took a penlight from her pocket and shone it on Viktor’s eyes.  “He’s not responding…Did he have any prior symptoms?  Anything out of the ordinary this morning?”

“He was literally perfectly fine until Dad died.”

Katya gasped in realization and clutched Viktor’s hands tightly, her knuckles white.  “It’s a bond severance! He’s going to follow Dad.”  

Haru groaned. “Oh come on, Katya, you seriously still believe that?!”

Yuri growled, making the young alpha close his mouth in surprise.  “Shut up!  Just because you don’t believe in it doesn’t make it fake! It’s fucking real.”

“Uncle Yurio…”

“Instead of arguing with your sister you should take this time to say goodbye to your Papa.”

Haru gulped and turned to look back at his sister, who was now whispering something unintelligible into Viktor’s ear. His Papa didn’t give any indication that he was hearing her, azure eyes only focused on his dead Dad.

Dr. Kaplan stepped back.  “I can have our nurses transfer him over to a stretcher. One of our rooms just freed up, he’ll soon need vasopressors and oxygen at this rate.  He’s starting to turn paler, so we don’t have much time.”

Kostya shook his head. “No, but thank you… I don’t think Papa wants to be separated from my Dad right now.”

“Please understand that if you don’t consent to this he will die.”

Kostya gave a wavering smile.  “I know.”  He looked up to see Yuri and his siblings staring back at him.  “We know.”  He said it as a statement but looked around the room daring anyone to challenge his decision.  One by one his siblings nodded.  

“It’s what Dad would want,” Kiyoshi whispered, holding onto Katya’s shoulder as she cried.  

Dr. Kaplan nodded.  “Very well… I-I’ll step out and give your family some privacy.”  She, the medical resident and the nurse made their way out of the room, the nurse drawing the privacy curtains across before sliding the glass door closed.  

“This is really happening, isn’t it?” Haru gasped.  “Oh fuck… this is _really_ happening.”

Yuri stood up shakily on arthritic knees and gripped Haru’s arm tightly with surprising strength.  “You’ll never be prepared for it,” he said, eyes trained on Viktor and Yuuri.  

“But Papa… is he in pain?” Kiyoshi whispered.  “Shouldn’t we at least give him some pain medicine or something?”

Katya shook her head.  “I don’t think the kind of pain Papa’s feeling is anything that medicines can treat, Yoshka.”

The seconds felt like long minutes as Viktor felt his breaths get more shallow.  Unlike before, he was no longer struggling.  He could half-hear what his children were saying.  Of course he’d follow Yuuri.  He’d follow his Yuuri anywhere. Not even death can separate him from his Yuuri, didn’t they know that?  His heart began to beat more slowly.  He regarded his mate once more and felt an illogical flare of anger at how his visage was being blocked by the ventilator tube.  He scowled and removed it gently, Kostya assisting him. No sense in having it invading his Yuuri's body now that he was dead.  

_“Vitya…”_

Viktor blinked and turned his eyes over to the door.  He gasped. “M-mama?”

Yuri and his children frowned and turned over to where he was looking to find no one there.  

 _“Vitya, it’s okay. Everything will be alright.”_ The apparition stepped over closer to his bed, just behind Kiyoshi.  The other occupants in the room did not give any indication that they can see her, but to Viktor she was very much real and every inch the beautiful silver-haired beauty he remembered before her untimely death when he was just six-years-old.  Platinum silver locks cascaded over her shoulders to reach her hips, swaying every now and then from an invisible breeze.  Warm verdant eyes regarded him with the same love that would greet him whenever he reached up to her.  She was clad in a simple white gown, the material floating around her form. The only thing that was different was the warm golden glow that seemed to emanate from her very being.   _“You’re already over the most painful part.  Your soul is following Yuuri’s right now.”_

“Yuuri, is he with you?”

_“He is, but he didn’t want to show himself because he’s afraid that you’d leave too early.  Would you like to see him?”_

“Yes, I can tell… my time is almost up.”  

Yekaterina Nikiforov's soul gave a sad smile. _“I think you’re right.”_ She looked around the room, taking in everyone’s somber faces.   _“Why don’t you say goodbye first to your children and Yuri?”_  

Viktor blinked, eyes a bit more alert as he followed her gaze to see everyone looking at him.  

“P-papa?” Katya whispered hesitantly.  

“Papa, don’t scare us like that!” Haru said indignantly.  

Kostya simply looked back at him, lips pressed in a thin line.  

“Papa, are you okay?” Kiyoshi asked.  “You were hallucinating just a second ago. Do you want us to get the doctor back?”

Viktor shook his head and gave them a soft smile.  “I have to go.  I’m only sad to leave you all behind, but you know I have to look after your Dad.”  He met Yuri’s emerald gaze resolutely.  “I _have_ to,” he added passionately.  

Yuri blinked back tears and gave a firm nod.  “Of course. Beka and I will catch you on the flip side.”

His comment made a smile quirk up his lips.  Ah, classic Yurio.  

“Kostya, look after your brothers and sister for me, okay?  Someone has to be the level-headed one in our family,” Viktor chuckled.  

His eldest choked down a sob as he steeled his voice to remain calm.  “O-of course, Papa.”

“I love you all.  So, so much.  Yuuri and I will watch over all of you.  We can’t be more proud of raising such wonderful kids.  And Yurio, you know you're like a brother to me." He turned his head back to take in Yuuri’s face once more and placed his palm on his cheek again, stroking the worn skin with his equally wrinkled thumb.  Oh how he would do the same exact motions whenever he would wake up before his love.  If it weren’t for the cooling cheek under his hand he would have thought that Yuuri was just sleeping peacefully.  

Even if everyone else in the room was crying at this point, Viktor couldn’t help but smile.  Here he was, next to his mate and surrounded by all their loved ones on their deathbed.  What more could he ask for?  A smile spread across his face as he took these last few seconds to take in the sight of his love’s face.  The same face that he met as an unhappy seven-year-old child still mourning the loss of his mother.  The same face that he fell in love with as he courted Yuuri as children, the same face he married in the greenhouse and officially again surrounded by their friends and family, the same face he made love to, the same face who cooed over their children, the same face who cried when things got hard but still greeted him every morning.  It may have grown old and weathered with age over the years but Viktor can still clearly see all the previous years hidden underneath.  

“Oh moya lyubov, I can’t wait to meet you again in our next life,” he whispered as he caressed Yuuri’s face once more before closing his eyes and kissing his lips.

 _“Vitya?”_  

An image of Viktor’s seven-year-old self emerged from his body only visible to Yekaterina’s apparition and the apparition of a young boy next to her.  Viktor blinked in confusion, looking down at his glowing arms before turning around to see his physical form laid next to Yuuri’s body, hands held tight and faces pressed nose to nose from where he had kissed Yuuri in his last act on Earth.  

 _“Vitya, are you okay?”_ The small voice asked again and Viktor turned around to finally lock eyes with the boy holding his Mama’s hand.  

 _“Yuuuuuriii!”_ A heart-shaped smile grew on his face and Viktor's soul glowed brighter in happiness, practically flaring with light as he jumped or rather, floated, down from the hospital bed to wrap the other soul in a tight embrace.  The omega looked just as young, the spitting image of the six-year-old boy he met and fell in love with in their school days.  _“I missed you soooo much!  Don’t leave me like that again, okay?”_

Yuuri’s soul grew brighter as they touched.  He giggled as he ran a hand through Viktor’s hair.   _“You’re silly, we only left each other for a couple of minutes.”_

 _“Yeah, the longest five minutes of my life!”_  Viktor looked up to smile at him and his mother before turning around to look at those they left behind.  He smiled sadly when he saw how his children were openly sobbing now. Even Yurio was bent over his chair, hands on his face and shoulders trembling. 

Yuuri squeezed his hands gently.   _“They’ll be okay, Vitya.  They’re strong.  We raised them right.  Yurio is strong too."_

Viktor nodded. _“Yeah…”_ He looked up at his Mama.   _“Where are we going next, Mama?”_

Yekaterina smiled as she bent down to pick up Viktor’s hand. _“Well...your Papa, Baba, and Deda, not to mention your Okaa-san and Otou-san are all waiting for you two.”_

Viktor smiled.   _“Alright! Let’s go meet them, then maybe we can come back to watch over our kids, Yuuri?”_

The omega smiled, _“Sure, I wanna make sure they’ll make it okay with the funeral preparations and all.”_

Viktor swung their hands back and forth, his other hand in his Mama’s as the apparitions turned around to walk away from the hospital room.  He couldn’t wait to see everyone again!  

As they stepped through the glass doors, a bright glow surrounded them, causing Viktor's vision to turn white.   _"Yuuri?"_

 _"It's okay, Vitya, everything's fine. We're just going to the other side."_ And as the light faded, Viktor blinked several times until the blurry figures in front of him came back to focus.  It was everyone!  Papa, Baba, Deda, Okaa-san, Otou-san, Mari-neechan, Minako, Takeshi, Georgi, Phichit... A bright smile spread across his face as he and Yuuri ran together to greet everyone.  

In the end there was no reason to be sad, because death was only the beginning of their next life together.  And Viktor had no doubt that he will be reunited again with Yuuri in their next life.  It’s what soulmates did, after all, and their souls were entwined for all of eternity.

**Author's Note:**

> I took a huge risk posting this. I mean, this is basically how the [Entwined series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/719568) will end. But this scene wouldn’t leave me and I just had to put it in words. I didn’t want to tag this as a tragedy because to me it’s still a happy ending. In a way, this fic is an impetus for me to get this series done, all three arcs of it. I want to see these two grow old together and I’ll do my damndest to weave the most beautiful love story ever. It’s why I fell in love with Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship in the first place, and I won’t settle for anything less. 
> 
> Please, please, tell me your thoughts. I poured out a lot of emotions into this fic, and I hope it shows, so I’m especially anxious to hear your reactions.


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